Resiliently biased side bearing

ABSTRACT

A constant contact side bearing for a railway vehicle having an underframe bolster and a truck bolster. The side bearing includes a cover member which is pin mounted to permit sliding vertical movement into engagement with the underframe bolster while resisting twisting movement of the cover member. Resilient means acting between the truck bolster and cover member is disposed in a cavity of the cover member to bias the latter into frictional engagement with the underframe bolster.

United States Patent Davis 1 1 Aug. 5, 1975 RESILIENTLY BIASED SIDE BEARING [75] Inventor: Louis Dean Davis, Homewood. lll. 'm Henson wood Assistant ExammerHoward Beltran [73] Assignee: Amsted Industries Incorporated, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Andrew .1. Bootz; Ralph M.

g Faust; Fred P. Kostka [22] Filed: Sept. 27, 1973 Appl. No.: 401,197

[52] 11.8. CI 105/199 CB; 308/138 [51] Int. Cl B611 5/14; Bolf 5/50; F16c 17/04 [58] Field of Search 308/137, 138; 105/199 CB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 799,316 9/1905 Edwards 308/138 1,755,869 4/1930 Downey 308/138 1,775,249 9/1930 Lewis 308/137 2,698,208 12/1954 Dilg 308/138 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 581,547 8/1959 Canada 308/138 [57] ABSTRACT A constant contact side bearing for a railway vehicle having an underframe bolster and a truck bolster. The side bearing includes a cover member which is pin mounted to permit sliding vertical movement into engagement with the underframe bolster while resisting twisting movement of the cover member. Resilient means acting between the truck bolster and cover member is disposed in a cavity of the cover member to bias the latter into frictional engagement with the underframe bolster.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures RESILIENTLY BIASED SIDE BEARING BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to railway vehicle trucks and more particularly to an improved side bearing which is mounted adjacent the ends of a truck bolster and frictionally engageable with an underframe bolster to maintain frictional engagement between the car body and the truck bolster.

Side bearings of the type to which the present invention relates are commonly designated as constant contact side bearing. These constant contact bearings are mounted between the truck bolster and the car body and are characterized by the fact that a cover member is movably supported on the truck bolster and biased into frictional engagement with the underframe bolster and to remain in constant contact therewith during relative movement of the truck and car body.

Generally, in the prior art side bearings, the cover is telescopically received in a sleeve support fixedly mounted on the truck bolster. The resilient means is disposed in the sleeve and normally biases the cover outwardly into engagement with the underframe bolster. Under operating conditions when the cover is extended outwardly of the sleeve the cover tends to be displaced horizontally out of longitudinal axial alignment with the sleeve support. This horizontal displacement or axial misalignment minimizes the control exerted by the side bearing on the swivel action of the truck and car body.

By the present invention it is proposed to provide an improved side bearing structure which overcomes the difficulties encountered heretofore.

It is a further object to provide a side hearing which is of relatively simple construction and economical to manufacture.

The above and other objects of the invention which will be readily apparent from the following specification, drawings and claims is accomplished by a side bearing structure comprising generally a cover member having a transverse wall. The cover member is guided for sliding movement into engagement with the underframe bolster by means of pins fixed to the truck bolster. Resilient means interposed between the truck wall and the cover member biases the latter into frictional engagement with said underframe bolster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a truck bolster showing the side bearing of the present invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 22 of FIG. 1 and showing a fragmentary view of an underframe bolster spaced above the truck bolster.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings there is shown a side bearing I embodying the structure of the present in vention and applied on a truck bolster ll of a railway vehicle. Supported on the truck bolster 11 in the conventional manner is an underframe or body bolster 12 of which the outboard end is vertically spaced above the upper surface of the truck bolster ll.

The side bearing 10 is mounted on truck bolster 11, as shown, but it should be readily apparent that it may be inverted and mounted on the body bolster. The side bearing 10 includes a cover member 13 having a top or transverse wall 14 and a depending side wall 16. The top wall 14 and depending side wall 16 define a cavity 17. Extending laterally from the lower edge of the side wall 14 are a pair of oppositely extending flanges 18. The flanges 18 are each provided with openings 19. As shown, the cover 13 is made by casting, but it should be understood the top wall 14, side walls 16, and flanges 18 may be made from individual pieces and be welded together to form a fabricated unit.

Guide pins 23 are seated as by a press fit and fixed by welds in spaced holes 21 formed in a side bearing pad 22 on the truck bolster II. The guide pins 23 are snugly slidably accommodated in the openings 19 of the flanges 18 to guide the cover member for vertical movement toward and away from the side bearing pad 22.

A resilient means 24 such as a compression spring, as shown, or rubber, urethane and the like, is received within the cavity 17 so as to be interposed between the truck bolster II and top wall 14. The compression spring 24 serves to apply an upward biasing force on the top wall 14 causing the flat upper face 26 to frictionally engage a face 27 of a wear plate 28 fixed as by welding to the underside of the body bolster 12. The spring 24 is selected so as to bias the transverse wall 14 and maintain engagement with the wear plate 28 during car operation conditions which create an increased space between the bolsters l1 and 12 as shown in phantom lines. Also under conditions causing the spring 24 to be fully compressed, the lower edges of side walls 16 are formed to prevent solid contact of spring 24 and the flanges 18 with bearing pad 22.

During car operation the frictional engagement between the cover plate face 26 and wear plate face 27 provides substantial control in the reduction of nosing and swiveling of the truck while at the same time permitting the truck sufficient freedom of movement relative to the body to negotiate a curved track. While the truck is rotating with respect to the car body about the vertical axis which passes through the center plate, the cover member 13 is restrained against longitudinal movement by the snugly fitting guide pins 23 so that the axis of the compression spring 24 remains substantially normal to the bearing pad 22. This assures proper functioning of the spring 24 to maintain a friction force between the faces 26 aand 27 during rocking of the body.

It should be understood that the arrangement described above constitutes the preferred embodiment and that many adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway vehicle having a truck bolster and an underframe bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member having a transverse wall disposed between said truck bolster and said underframe bolster, pin means fixed to one of said bolsters mounting said cover member for sliding movement between said underframe bolster and said truck bolster, and resilient means interposed between said transverse wall and one of said bolsters to bias said transverse wall into frictional engagement with the other of said bolsters.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover member includes side wall means depending from said transverse wall and confines said resilient means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said cover member includes flange means extending from said side wall means and wherein said pin means are slidably received in said flange means.

4. in a railway vehicle having a truck bolster and an underframe bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member having a transverse wall disposed between said truck bolster and said underframe bolster and including side wall means and flange means extending from said side wall means, pin means fixed to said truck bolster slidably received in said flange means mounting said cover member for sliding movement between said underframe bolster and said truck bolster. and resilient means interposed between said truck bolster and said cover member confined by said side wall means so as to bias said transverse wall into frictional engagement with said underframe bolster.

5. in a railway vehicle having a body bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member including a transverse wall and a side wall defining a cavity, flange means projecting from said side wall, and pin means fixed to said truck bolster and slidably extending through said flange means for guiding said cover member for movement toward said underframe bolster, and resilient means disposed in said cavity between said transverse wall and said truck bolster to bias said cover member into frictional engagement with said body bolster. 

1. In a railway vehicle having a truck bolster and an underframe bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member having a transverse wall disposed between said truck bolster and said underframe bolster, pin means fixed to one of said bolsters mounting said cover member for sliding movement between said underframe bolster and said truck bolster, and resilient means interposed between said transverse wall and one of said bolsters to bias said transverse wall into frictional engagement with the other of said bolsters.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover member includes side wall means depending from said transverse wall and confines said resilient means.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said cover member includes flange means extending from said side wall means and wherein said pin means are slidably received in said flange means.
 4. In a railway vehicle having a truck bolster and an underframe bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member having a transverse wAll disposed between said truck bolster and said underframe bolster and including side wall means and flange means extending from said side wall means, pin means fixed to said truck bolster slidably received in said flange means mounting said cover member for sliding movement between said underframe bolster and said truck bolster, and resilient means interposed between said truck bolster and said cover member confined by said side wall means so as to bias said transverse wall into frictional engagement with said underframe bolster.
 5. In a railway vehicle having a body bolster supported on said truck bolster, a side bearing comprising a cover member including a transverse wall and a side wall defining a cavity, flange means projecting from said side wall, and pin means fixed to said truck bolster and slidably extending through said flange means for guiding said cover member for movement toward said underframe bolster, and resilient means disposed in said cavity between said transverse wall and said truck bolster to bias said cover member into frictional engagement with said body bolster. 